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| Peter Roskam | |
|---|---|
| Name | Peter Roskam |
| Birth date | January 12, 1961 |
| Birth place | Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Republican Party (United States) |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign; Northern Illinois University College of Law |
| Spouse | Andrea Roskam |
| Office | U.S. Representative for Illinois's 6th congressional district |
| Term start | January 3, 2007 |
| Term end | January 3, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Henry Hyde |
| Successor | Sean Casten |
Peter Roskam is an American attorney and politician who served six terms as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 6th congressional district from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), he held leadership roles on the United States House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Republican Policy Committee. Roskam's tenure included involvement in taxation, healthcare, and foreign policy debates during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and legislative interactions with the United States Senate.
Roskam was born in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois and raised in suburban Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. He graduated from Lake Forest High School (Illinois) and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He received a Juris Doctor from the Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he trained in trial advocacy and appellate practice, joining cohorts involved with American Bar Association activities and local Illinois State Bar Association programs.
Roskam practiced law with firms involved in civil litigation and municipal representation, working on matters that brought him into contact with the Illinois General Assembly and county administrations. He served as an alderman on the Wheaton, Illinois City Council and was active in the DuPage County, Illinois Republican organizations. Roskam was Chief of Staff and later Chief Legislative Counsel to U.S. Representative Henry Hyde, and he served as an Illinois state legislator in the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate, participating in committees addressing taxation, appropriations, and local governance. His municipal and legislative roles connected him to officials from Cook County Board of Commissioners, Kane County, and the Metropolitan Planning Council.
Elected in 2006 to succeed Henry Hyde, Roskam represented a district covering portions of DuPage County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois, Kane County, Illinois, and Will County, Illinois. He served on the Committee on Ways and Means and the House Ways and Means Committee subcommittees on Health and Oversight, and he was vice chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. Roskam engaged with federal policy debates involving the Internal Revenue Service, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, and international trade disputes adjudicated by the United States Trade Representative. He participated in delegations to NATO partners, met with officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia, and worked with members of the Senate Finance Committee on tax reform initiatives.
Roskam supported tax reform aligning with proposals advanced by the House Republicans and the Trump administration's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, advocating changes in collaboration with the House Ways and Means Committee leadership and Senate Republicans. He opposed the Affordable Care Act and backed legislation promoting market-based healthcare alternatives discussed with Americans for Prosperity and Heritage Foundation-aligned policymakers. On foreign policy, Roskam supported close U.S.-Israel relations and voted for measures addressing sanctions related to Iran and Russia. He voted in line with Republican Study Committee priorities on spending and regulatory rollbacks, and he cosponsored bills referencing the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization and reforms to the Small Business Administration lending programs. Roskam's record included votes on matters involving the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Roskam first won the congressional seat in the 2006 election, defeating Frank Kratovil-type Democratic challengers in a competitive suburban district; he retained the seat in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 against opponents such as Tammy Duckworth-style and Bill Foster-adjacent Democrats in narratively similar contests. His 2018 campaign culminated in a high-profile contest against Sean Casten during a midterm cycle characterized by shifting suburban electorates and national debates over the Donald Trump presidency. Roskam's campaigns emphasized tax policy, infrastructure priorities with links to Illinois Department of Transportation, and constituent services tied to district institutions such as Northwestern Medicine and Advocate Health Care. He benefited from endorsements from Republican groups like the National Rifle Association and business-oriented political action committees, while facing opposition support from labor unions such as the Service Employees International Union.
After leaving Congress in 2019, Roskam joined legal and lobbying practices in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois, advising clients on tax policy, healthcare regulation, and international trade. He appeared as a commentator on outlets linked to Fox News and engaged with think tanks including the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution on fiscal policy panels. Roskam also served on boards of private-sector firms and nonprofit organizations connected to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and regional economic development groups, collaborating with leaders from General Electric, Boeing, and McDonald's Corporation-adjacent civic initiatives.
Roskam is married to Andrea, and they have two children; the family is active in community institutions such as Wheaton College (Illinois)-adjacent civic groups, local Rotary International chapters, and regional charitable organizations. He has received awards from business associations and municipal leagues, and has been recognized by fiscal policy groups and local chambers for constituent service and legislative work. Roskam remains a figure in Illinois Republican circles alongside politicians like Kirk Dillard, Bruce Rauner, Peter Fitzgerald (Illinois politician), and Mark Kirk.
Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians